Flue-expander.



J. P. HIGH.

FLUE EXPANDER. AAAAAAAAA on-nmm AUG 13,1908.

-Patentetll Jan.5, 1909.

W W- a wuudoz,

UNITED STATES PATEN FFTQE.

FLUE-EXPANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed August 13, 1908. Serial No. 448,362.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES PAYTON HIGH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairview, in the county of Major and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Flue-Expander, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to "flue expanders and the principal object thereof is to adapted for use on locomotives to expand the fines 1n the event of their leaking while the engine is running.

It is well known that at times much trouble is caused by the flues leaking in locomotive boilers around the end inserted in the Ordinarily it is neceslire box tube seat. sary to wait until the engine is stopped to make the repairs, and various devices have been used for the purpose of stopping the leakage. The present invention, however, provides a means for expanding the flue ends in the sheet even while the engine is in operation and a fire in the firebox.

To this end, the invention consists in general of a bar of sufficient length through the fire-box and provided at its end {pith a loosely mounted flue-expanding mem- The invention further consists in certain novel details of arrangement and combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyirr drawings, and specifically set forth in the c aims.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flue-expander constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the expanding member and showing the bar in elevation.

The numeral 10 indicates the body of the bar and this body is provided with a reduced end 11 between which and the body portion is a collar 12. The extreme end of the portion 11 is provided with screw threads as indicated at 13, and a nut 14 is held thereon. Between the nut 14 and the collar 12 there is provided an expanding member 15 having a frusto-conical exterior and a similar frusto-conical interior, the interior diameter being somewhat larger than the diameter of the reduced end 11, so that the member 15 fits loosely thereon. This member 15 is madeof less length than the distance between the nut 14 and the collar 12, so that it provide an improved form of flue expander especially to reach l I and provided with a square l l i has longitudinal movement relative to the bar, the collar and nut acting as stops to l limit the said longitudinal movement. This 5 member 15 is made of such exterior diameter i as to suit the fines of the boiler. In the operation of the device the bar is l inserted through the door of the fire-box and l the smaller end of the member 15 positioned within the flue which it is desired to expand. l The outer end of the bar may then be struck l with a sledge or the like, and the member 15 will be forced into the flue, and, by reason of I its shape, expand the same. l Vhen the flue has been expanded the rod is jerked suddenly backward and the inertia of the moving rod will act as a shock to remove the expanding member 15 from the flue. W' hen it is del sired, the rod may be utilized as a hammer to force the member 15 into the flue by moving I the rod to and fro so that the collar 12 strikes l repeated blows on the larger end of the mem- I ber 15. When necessary, the rod may be bent to position the member 15 in fines which i do not lie directly in front of the fire-box 5 door.

By reason of the member 15 being loosely mounted upon the end 11 said member will I always position itself properly in the flue.

' It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of this invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact 1 form herein shown and described, but it is I wished to include all such as properly come l within the scope thereof.

! Having thus described the invention, what 1s claimed as new, is

1. A flue expander comprising a bar of uniform cross sectional diameter throughout its entire length, a hollow expanding member loosely mounted for sliding movement thereon and having an uninterrupted frustoconical exterior surface, and rior surface, the interior of member being of a similar intethe expanding greater diameter than that portion of the bar whereon the member is mounted, a stop carried by one end of the bar, and an impact collar secured to said bar in spaced relation to the opposite end thereof shoulder adapted to engage the adjacent end of the expanding member.

2. A flue expander comprising a cylindrical bar of uniform cross sectional diameter throughout its length and having one end thereof threaded, a hollow frusto-conical exengage the small end of the expanding mempanding member loosely mounted forsliding ber for limitingthe longitudinal movement of movement on the bar and having its extesaid member. rior walls uninterrupted to form a smooth In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 continuous bearing surface, the interior of 1 my own, I have hereto affiXed my signature tihe expanlclling h-mgmber being1f of greater in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

iameter t an t e ar, a circu erentia im- Y pact collar spaced inwardly from one end of JAMES PAYTON HIGH the bar and adapted to engage the large end Witnesses:

of the expanding member, and a nut engag- F. W. MAM-SON, ing the threads on the bar and adapted to J. TAYLOR. 

